Dawn of Cobalt Shadows (Burning Empire Book 2) by Emma Hamm (best e ink reader for manga .txt) 📕

She didn’t need to worry about Sigrid. Her sister had proven that time and time again. She was stronger than the rest of them. Far more capable of handling the cruelty of the wilds.

Still, she worried that this might be the last time she saw Sigrid, and her soul wept.

7

Nadir

Why was it that every time he turned his back, something bad happened? Nadir cracked his neck and slumped in the chair beside his desk.

Yet another backstabbing moment from his advisors who had already said they sent an “experimental troop” of assassins to follow the Earthen King home.

Oh, they wouldn’t attack the king. He was assured of that. The advisors weren’t so foolish to endanger the kingdom like that. But they wanted the know the route the Earthen folk had traveled. They wanted the know the easiest way to get back to the castle where the Earthen King lived.

He’d already told them how foolish that was. Hallmar wasn’t an idiot. He wasn’t going to take the easiest path back to his home, and he certainly would realize they likely had someone following him. It was wasted effort on soldiers who should be home with their families these last few days before the war broke out. No man wanted to say goodbye to his family, but his advisors had already brought the kingdom to that point.

Sighing, he scrubbed a hand over his face and felt the prickling of a beard growing. Since when had he any facial hair? Was that new or had he not noticed that his body was aging?

The next thing he knew, he’d be finding gray hair at his temples, and he wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest. They were going to drive him to an early grave with all this stress.

A few hours of sleep might help, if he could manage to lay his head down to rest. He didn’t know what kind of dreams would plague him. Still, he was willing to face the guilt of his life if only that meant he could close his eyes for a few moments.

Nadir stood, cracked his back which was suddenly tight, and strode toward the comfortable haven of his bed. The silken sheets would slide over his body in a cool caress. The pillows would hug him as no one had in gods knew how long.

He was so excited to sleep that he almost missed the curtains of his balcony shifting. A smarter person would have tried to make the movement look as though it were the wind. Someone who didn’t want to be found anyway.

Nadir’s shoulders curved forward in defeat. He didn’t want to fight anyone, not tonight when his bed was right there.

Gesturing with his hand, he beckoned the person forward. “I know you’re there. Come out. If it’s an assassination attempt you’re trying, then you could at least be quick about it. I’d like to try and sleep tonight.”

“You’re rather cocky,” a voice wove from the shadows of the balcony. “You might not be sleeping at all, but might find a permanent kind of darkness.”

“Then so be it. I’m not afraid of death and would welcome it at this point in my life. The kingdom might be better for it anyways.” He rubbed the back of his neck, pondering whether or not he should try and tackle the person. It would be so easy to force them to the ground and shout for his guards.

But not nearly as fun.

The curtains shifted again and a woman stepped out of the shadows. Her dark hair had been cleaned since the last time he’d seen her. Smooth and grease-free, the torches reflected off the dark mass until he thought perhaps it swallowed light.

She stared at him with a ferocity he hadn’t seen in a while. Nadir was surprised to see that her eyes weren’t as dark as he remembered. Instead, they were caramel colored. Warm toffee poured over a treat like he hadn’t had since he was just a little boy.

Clearing his throat, he pointed toward the desk. “There’s food and water in the bottom drawer if you need any.”

“Your concubines have already fed me.” Somehow, she made the words feel like an accusation.

“I see they’ve cleaned you as well, and given you clothing that actually fits.” Although, it wasn’t the clothing his concubines would have chosen for her. She was dressed in men’s clothing. White, billowing shirt and wide pants that wouldn’t hinder her movements too much.

What was she doing here? He’d made it very clear that he would deal with her once he wrapped his mind around how to address her situation. The advisors were likely keeping even more of the Beastkin in the dungeons, hidden away from him.

That, in itself, posed a problem. He was supposed to be sending these Beastkin to Sigrid. Regrettably, he hadn’t the time for as many as he liked. When he knew they were going to be burned or killed, he stepped in to save them at the last second.

Never on his own orders of course. There were plenty of people who were sympathetic and who were happy to hide the fact that the sultan was helping them. Some didn’t even know it was he who was the benefactor to their operations.

But this woman… her dark eyes saw much more than most. She stared at him with a mixture of hatred and apprehension, something no other Beastkin had done in the recent months. She looked at him almost as though she were waiting for something.

For him to recognize her? That couldn’t be what it was. He’d never seen her in his life. Nadir would have recognized those dark eyes, the curves that stretched across her form. Wouldn’t he?

He shook his head and then a chuckle slipped from his lips. “You’re escaping, aren’t you?”

“Did you really think your guards could hold me for long?”

“I’ve never had too many complaints about them.” Nadir strode toward his bed and fell into the pillows. He let his body relax for the briefest moment,